Death, taxes and LEMON DROP KID. There are just a handful of sure things in life, and after more than a decade of being a perennial leading sire, LEMON DROP KID sure comes close to fitting the bill. From Triple Crown contenders like Code West and Treasury Bill, to Grade 1-performing 3yo fillies like Concise (GB), to tough, sound veterans like Richard’s Kid and Wilkinson, LEMON DROP KID had another fine year in 2013.

LEMON DROP KID now seems loaded for a big 2014. He already has a handful of stakes-performing juveniles, including Candy Kitty, winner of the $100,000 Wait a While S. at Gulfstream Nov. 30. LEMON DROP KID is also the sire of the 2013 juvenile stakes fillies Lemon de Oro (Hollywood Park), Unspurned (Woodbine) and Lemon Point (Gulfstream).

LEMON DROP KID’s position among elite sires was illustrated in the TDN’s Bill Oppenheim’s Mid-Year APEX Rankings in 2013. LEMON DROP KID sported an ‘A Runner’ Index of 2.68, better than Distorted Humor, Tapit, Kitten’s Joy, Tiznow, Oasis Dream (GB), Awesome Again, etc. Considering he stands for less than half than Tiznow and Awesome Again, nearly a third of the likes of Distorted Humor and Kitten’s Joy, and roughly a fifth of what Tapit stands for, LEMON DROP KID stands as one of the smartest choices a breeder can make.